However, some former students said on Twitter they were disappointed with the move, with one calling it “a very sad day”.

One wrote: “Nobody in their right mind would argue with outreach activities but now Lucy will be like every other Oxbridge College, instead of the amazing, unique place it was.”

Another said: “I wouldn’t have dared compete with ‘normal age students’ – I didn’t have the confidence – but I did dare to apply when I thought the students were all mature women.”

A spokesperson for Lucy Cavendish College said it consulted more than 2,500 people, including current students, staff, alumnae and donors, and found “the vast majority” supported the college “going mixed”.

They said it would still be able to provide women-only accommodation and rooms in quieter areas for mature students, if they requested it.

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The college, which offers courses including medicine, English and law, counts actress Dame Judi Dench and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig among its honorary fellows.